TORRINGTON, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team let a win slip through their fingertips as the Eastern Wyoming College Lancers hit late free throws to register the 83-80 overtime win Tuesday in Torrington, Wyoming.
The Cougars will have little time to look back on the defeat as WNCC hosts Laramie County Community College Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m.
WNCC will need to learn quick from the mistakes in the EWC as they get ready for some big contests in the next couple of weeks.
The Lancers, however, played aggressive and hit big shots. The first half was dominated by the Lancers. WNCC led just twice in the first half at 5-4 and 7-6. The Lancers responded as they held a 21-16 lead and then led by six at 24-18. WNCC cut the lead to 26-23, but EWC had two big shots. The first was a 3-pointer that they made as the shot clock buzzer was going off. The second was another buzzer-beater when Eli Igiranez hit a trey to beat the halftime buzzer. EWC led 32-23 at intermission.
EWC led 39-31 early in the second half only to watch WNCC outscore the Lancers 15-4 to grab a 46-43 lead behind a dunk by Mathiang Maker and a triple by Elijah Hollins. EWC came right back and took a 47-46 lead. The Cougars went up 55-49 on four points from Maker.
EWC jumped back in front 67-66. That was when WNCC went back in front at 68-67 on a bucket by Hollins with 35 seconds to play. WNCC forced a turnover and Kellon Harris nailed two free throws with 9.7 seconds left and a 70-67 lead. EWC had one last chance at tying the game and Alain Nziza was fouled taking a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds and made all three shots to force overtime.
In the 5-minute extra period, WNCC went up 80-74 with just over a minute to play on an Isaiah St. Preux drive and bucket. EWC buried a trey to make it 80-77 and then hit two field goals, the last one from Vukasin Spasojevic with 15.5 seconds to play for an 81-80 lead. A shot by the Cougars with 3.3 seconds was not good and Jumarion Weh was fouled with 3.3 seconds to play for the 83-80 final score.
Maker led the Cougars with 26 points followed by Harris with 19, and Hollins with 14 and Burney with nine.
WNCC 23 47 10 – 80
EWC 32 38 13 – 83
WNCC
Reece Randolph 4, Kellon Harris 19, Isaiah St. Preux 6, Elijah Hollins 14, Mathiang Maker 26, Elijah Burney 9, Witold Czerenkiewicz 2.
EWC
Jumarion Weh 5, Jouk Mayan 5, Jaironn Speights 3, LaThario Miller 16, Javier Gonzalez 15, Khayree Rashed 4, Bilal Cisse 3, Eli Igiranez 5, Vukasin Spasojevic 6, Alain Nziza 15, Russell Moorer 4.